From Minerva to the Stars: Sattik's Journey to Becoming a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society

Can you tell us more about your passion for astronomy?

Public astronomy is something I have been interested in ever since I saw the TV show Cosmos by Carl Sagan as a 5th-grade student. I have been part of the Sky Watchers Association of North Bengal (SWAN), an astronomy club in Siliguri, and have been grateful to conduct public outreach events where we show the surface of the Moon, star clusters, nebulae to well, everyone! They have shown me a clear path to further pursue astronomy, so that I can learn more and further the edge of knowledge and share it with everyone, to show our place in the cosmic scale. 

I also took part in a summer research program back in India in the 12th grade. It was organized by Research Discovery led by Neha Kumar. I conducted research on Exoplanet Astronomy under Dr. Geetanjali Sethi at St. Stephen’s College at Delhi University. This was my first time getting a field-level experience in Observational Astronomy and Computational Astrophysics. In this research, we analyzed the physical properties of three exoplanets and compared them to Earth to assess habitability using the ESI (Earth-Similarity Index) metric. This created a pathway that I wanted to explore further at Minerva given its emphasis on experiential and practical learning. Hence, now I have two clearly defined pathways under astronomy that I am exploring: observational (computational) and theoretical.‍

Can you talk about how you became a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (FRAS)? What does this achievement mean to you?

I wanted to be a FRAS since grade 8th when I first heard about FRS (Fellow of the Royal Society) in the movie “The Man Who Knew Infinity”, a biopic of one of the greatest mathematicians, Ramanujan. I found out then that there was indeed a similar fellow status for astronomy: the FRAS. It has been my dream ever since!

I did get an offer back in high school while presenting my first paper at the GHOU-2021 International Astronomy Conference. However, being under 18, I was not eligible. Fast forward to Minerva, I wanted to give it a try again and hence I applied back in February 2024. I was a bit reluctant due to the very low acceptance rate: 150 FRAS out of approximately 30000 applicants (0.005%), 1 of the 150 is chosen as a board member FRAS and the remaining are regular FRAS. And you can apply only once. So if you are rejected, there is no applying next year or ever. Nonetheless, I gave it a shot.

Professor Bentsen, my Formal Analyses instructor, recommended me to the Royal Astronomical Society for my FRAS application. For two months, the selection committee conducted verification of each applicant and their authenticity of accomplishments. Following this, I received an email in late April for an interview on May 10th, 2024. The interview was 4 hours long and it was conducted by the selection committee, comprising Nobel Prize Winners in Physics, Fields Medalists, and Royal Society members. After this, I was elected as a FRAS on May 13th, 2024!

To be elected as the only board member FRAS was way out of my imagination. This was the best thing that ever happened in my professional astronomy life. Being part of the Royal Astronomical Society, I am doing a lot of work and learning a lot which is a huge source of inspiration and motivation to be consistent in my efforts. I can go on and on about how much it means to me, but the fact is, it is just life-changing. 

The best part is from now my name is Sattik Bhaumik FRAS. It is also an honorific title to be used along with one’s name. That’s the best part. 

I am and will always be thankful to Prof. Bentsen for the recommendation and the constant support from my family and friends. I am grateful for all of that.‍

You have another paper on exoplanets that will be featured as the headline article in this spring's Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal. Could you share more about the research you conducted for this publication?

‍In this new paper, I have calculated a Gaussian estimation of the three exoplanets on four criteria: their soil content (telluricity), their gravity, surface liquid water, and magnetic field. I then compared each metric estimation to Earth’s properties of the same criterion. Following this I computed the geometric mean of these estimations, known as SEPHI, which gives the final conclusion to their capacity to sustain carbon-based life found on Earth, expressed in the form of a percentage. The entire Gaussian estimation and criteria calculation was performed using Python code available here.

Being my second paper to be published, this is my first single-authored paper that has been peer-reviewed for publication by the Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal. Presently, it is going through the copy-editing phase and will be published by the end of August. 

What drew you to apply and enroll at Minerva?

I applied to Minerva University for its focus on the practical application of knowledge. Being interested in astronomy and how relevant computational methods have become in the field, I wanted to learn those practical applications and their methods to explore computational astrophysics. As for theory (cosmology and theoretical physics), I am learning it by myself and want to further it in my graduate studies.‍

In your opinion, what sets a Minerva education apart from traditional universities, and how do you envision the value of your Minerva degree in your postgraduate and professional journey?

Minerva has a different approach to education and in doing so, it makes students think differently. One thing all Minervans can do is to think in scaling terms. Depending on the context, a Minervan can scale one’s thinking approach to apply the necessary principles to either solve the problem or learn from an event. This scaling helps them see the world differently across several levels: be it the macro, the micro, or the inter-space. 

Due to this approach, I will be able to grasp advanced concepts in Cosmology and Quantum Field Theory later in my graduate studies, which will make me more efficient and allow me to explore the unknown during my professional astronomy career. 

What is a standout moment from your Minerva journey that you believe has been particularly transformative for you as a student and an individual?

The day I was learning about art analysis in my Multimodal Communications class. Art has always been mysterious to me in ways a Bengali would say স্তরপূর্ণ (layered). I tried art classes before, but I was too rigid about it. It was in a Minerva class that I learned the actual ways to interpret a piece of art. And then this unknown world opened its door to me, I started appreciating the visual representation of Bengali paintings even more, and identifying visual representations of philosophy and themes across video games (a newer art #medium). Art is math in its more abstract sense, in the human sense it is an emotion, and I can proudly say I have been able to integrate both here at Minerva.

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If you were inspired by Sattik's story and are seeking a college experience that will teach you valuable pragmatic skills that will enable you to change the world, learn more about Minerva University.